Revoluble explosive-engine.



No. 784,808. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

G. A. SAWTELLE.

REVOLUBLB EXPLUSIVE ENGINE.'

APPLIOATION FILED N0v.19, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

glllff Witnesses: Inventor UNITED STATES Patented March 14, '1905.

PATENT OEETCE.

CI'IARLES A. SAWTELLE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAVTELLE ROTARY MOTOR COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALI- FORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

REVOLUBLE EXPLOSlVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFIQATIONforming part of Letters Patent NO. 784,808, dated March 14, 1905.

l Application filed November 19, 1903. Serial No. 181,850.

.To /LZZ 11,771,071?. it may concern:

Be it known that I, CuAELns A. SAw'rELLn,

a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Revoluble Explosive-Engines, of which the followingl is aspecilication.

My invention relates toimprovements in engines of the class known as internal-combustion or explosive engines.

It consists, essentially, of a plurality of cylinders mounted radially about a crank-shaft and having the connecting-rods of each extending from their pistons to a crank sufficiently distant from the crank-shaft to insure the reciprocation of each piston in its cylinder as the cylinders are revolved around the shaft. The cylinders are connected with a central chamber forming a crank easing which is turnable upon the shaft and which casing has sleeves extending' to both sides, through which the shaft passes, one of said sleeves carrying a gear engaging a similar gear and adapted to transmit power to the power-shaft. The crank-shaft also carries a gear, and by the disposition of these gears both the crank-easing. and cylinders and the shaft are revolved in opposite directions when power is applied, and the motion of each will be transmitted to a power shaft or shafts.

My invention also comprises detailsof construction, all of which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a sectional elevation of my apparatus transverse to the shaft. Fig. Q is a sectional elevation in a plane taken in the direction of the axis. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line w :u of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a bevel transmission-gear. Figs. 5 and 6 show a spur transmission-gear. Fig. 7 is a front View of the ignition mechanism. Fig. 8 is a front View of a governor.

A is a shaft having acrank 2, and 3 are cylinders lixed with their longitudinal axes substantially radial to the shaft A. These cylinders have pistons 4L adapted to reciprocate in them, and by connecting-rods 5 the pistons are united with the crank Q. The cylinders themselves are here shown as mounted upon and revoluble with a easing G, which is here shown as hexagonal and inclosing the central portion of the shaft and the crank.

The casing (3 has hollow sleeves extending axially from its ends, and the shaft A passes out through these sleeves and is properly journaled, so that while the shaft is revolu- `ble upon its journals the casing is also revoluhle upon the shaft, and when power is applied through the cylinders to revolve the casing in one direction the action upon the crank and shaft will revolve these in the opposite direction. In order to transmit the power thus developed, l havt` shown the sleeve T, extending from one end of the casing, having a beveled gear S, and the shaft A, which extends through this casing. has lixed to it a beveled gear, as 9. These gears are contained in a suitable box or case, as at IO, and shafts Il enter this box at right angles with the shafts A and have fixed upon their inner ends beveled gears 1Q., which mesh with the gears S and 9. Thus the power transmitted by the revolution of the cylinders and crank-case to the gear 8 and the power transmitted through the sha-ft A turning in the opposite direction through the gear 9 is applied upon opposite sides of the gear-wheels I2, and thus the shafts Il are rotated in opposite directions, and the whole momentum of the cylinders and gearcase and the crank-shaft, with the balancewheel which is mounted thereon, is combined to produce the two motions, as hereinbefore stated.

I have here described the application of the power through bevel-gears; but it will be manifest that the power may be similarly transmitted by means of si'iur-gears, as shown in Figs. 5 and (3, in which case the shaft Il, t0 which the power is transmitted, may be parallel with the shaft A and the gears so disposed as to drive this shaft, this construction beingwithin the province of any mechanic.

In order to provide a flexible support for the engine, so that there will be no binding 95 upon the shaft if the supporting members become twisted or turned out of line, I have shown the journal-boxes, as at 13, formed with pivots, as at 14, and the pivot-pins are turnable transversely to the line of the shaft in supporting-yokes, as at 15. These yokes are here shown in the form of trusses, and their outer ends form journals or supports 16, which may rest upon any suitable supporting members without any fastening or means oi' securing' exceptby their weight. It', then, the supports of either of the four ends 16 are raised or depressed or any movement takes place which would tend to twist the supports, it will be seen that by reason of the swiveling of the boxes 13 a universal-joint movement will take place which will prevent any binding upon the shaft which is journaled in these boxes. rThe boxes are made, as shown in the drawings, with a gas-inlet, as at 17, surrounding the upper part and an oil-reservoir 18 in the lower part, this oil serving to lubricate the shaft-bearings as required.

The fly-wheel, which is fixed to the shaft A, is so proportioned to the cylinders and crankcasing that the opposite movements of the shaft of the iiy-wheel and the crank-easing serve to balance each other, and thus provide a self-contained apparatus with no vibration.

The inlet and exhaust valves may be disposed in any suitable or desired manner with relation to the cylinders.

As shown in section, Fig. 1, the valve 19 opens communication from the chamber 2() to the passage 21, which connects with the cylinder, so that the explosive mixture may be admitted to the cylinder when this valve is opened. The valve 22 in like manner connects the passage from the cylinder with an exhaust chamber or passage Q3, which conducts the discharge-vapors to a muiier to be hereinafter described and thence to the open air. Springs 24 serve to retain the valves normally closed, and they are opened at proper intervals by cams 25 upon the sleeve 13, which project from box 13.

As there are three of the cylinders shown in the present drawings, it will be manifest that there must be three camsso set as to actuate the valve-stems at the proper intervals to allow the explosive mixture to enter the cylinders successively and after the explosion to open the exhaust-valves for the discharge of the products of combustion.

The cams 25 act upon lever-arms, as at 26, either directly or through antifriction-rellers, and these lever-arms are lixed te rocker-shafts carrying rocker-arms 27, and these in turn actuate the valve-stems 28 and alternately and successively open and close the valves.

It it is desired to vary the admission of gas into the cylinders and the consequent amount of compression which takes place before the explosion, it is effected by turning the cam which actuates the inlet-valve so that said valves may be opened a little earlier or later Feases and the amount oil mixture admitted to the cylinder thus controlled,

The exhaust-valves may, if desired, bemadc to open with such relation to the opening' ol the inlet-valves as to drive the engine in either direction, and this is effected by adjusting the exhaust-cams so that in one position they will operate to allow the valves to be driven in one direction and in the other position they will reverse the action of the engine.

The exhaust and inlet cams are mounted upon concentric sleeves, as at 29 and 30, so that they are adjustable with relation to each other, and suitable lever-arms and connections serve to shift the sleeves and cams, as previously stated.

The connection and adjustment ol the connecting-rods 5 with the crank-pin is as 'lollows: As the free connectingrods abut against the crank-pin, the amount ot coi'itactsurface would be small it' no provision was made to extend it. l have therclorc shown the crank-pin made of considerable length and the ends of the connecting-rods are extended in each direction, as .shown ati, so as to ex-V tend from end to end of the crank-pin. These extended ends arc converged `from the rod outwardly, and sleeves 32, the interior et' which are similarly tapered or converged,iitover the outside ends of the extensions 31. These sleeves are made in sections bolted together like ordinary boxes, and they have lugs upon the outer faces, as shown at 33. ',lhrough these lugs screws 34 are passed, havinglocknuts upon each side ot' the standard or support through which they pass, and when the connecting-rods become worn or the joint is loose it is only necessary to turn the screws after looseningthe lock-nuts, when the sleeves will be advanced, and by reason oi the taper or convergence oi the extensions 31 and the interior of' the sleeves 32 it will be seen that the contact-faces of the connecting-rod extensions will be drawn more closely against the crank-pin, and thusall lost motion from wear can be readily taken up. ln order to lubricate these bearings and theinterior portions, an oil cup or cups suitably mounted deliver oil through the crank-shaft, which is inade hollow or tubular for that purpose, and this oil also passes outwardly through a tubular opening in the crank-arm, the centrifugal movement oi' the crank acting' to move the oil in this manner and deliver it upon the crank-pin, so that the connecting-rod bearings are constantly well lubricated. The ccntrii'ugal action of the engine throws oli' this oil from time to time, so that it passes into the open ends of the cylinders, and these are also well lubricated by the same device without any further care.

A method oi' igniting the gas within the cylinders at the proper time may be by any ol IOO lIO

vceases it may be effected by dynamo or magneto apparatus, if preferred. I have here shown a three-part commutator-ring 35, fixed and revoluble with the crank-case and cylinders, and connections may be made between each of the commutator parts and the spark-plugs of one of the cylinders. The battery-contacts are connected as shown at 36, and each sparking device is thus energized at the proper interval by the cam 37 successively engaging' the arms 38 and raising them so that the elastic plates 39 close the contacts at 40.

In order to more accurately regulate the movement of the apparatus, I may employ a governor, as shown at Fig. 8. This governor may be of any well-known form. I have here shown one form which is operative. 1t consists of weights 41, carried by arms 42, fulcrumed to the iiy-wheel, so that the centrifugal force of revolution of the wheel tends to throw the weights outwardly, and when the speed is reduced the spring 43 will draw them toward the center. The ends of the arms 42 which are opposite to the weightsare connected by universal or ball joints and links 44 with a ring 45, which carries the cam 37, and this collar and the cam are advanced or retracted by the movement of the weights. The advance of the spark is thus automatically regulated by the engine speed. i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an internal-combustion engine, a journaled shaft with a single crank, a crank-case with bearings upon the crank-shaft, cylinders fixed in the crank-case in the plane of revolution of the crank and standing radially at anglcs of one hundred and twenty degrees with each other, pistons with rods connecting with the crank, gearing by which the shaft and crank-casing are connected to revolve in unison in opposite directions, a counter-shaft to which the motion of both is transmitted, inlet and exhaust valves, non-revoluble cams and levers and rock-shafts interposed between the cams and the valve-stems.

2. In an internal-combustion engine, a journaled shaft with a single crank, an inclosing crank-case journaled upon the crank -shaft, gears carried by the crank-case and shaft, a counter-shaft to which the opposite movements of the crank-shaft and the case are transmitted, cylinders fixed radially in the crank-case in the plane of rotation of the crank and at angles of one hundred and twenty degrees with each other, pistons and rods connecting with the crank, spring-closed inlet and exhaust valves, rockerarms engaging the valve-stems, cams carried by the sleeve of the journal-box and means for moving the cams to vary the time of opening the valves.

3. In an internal-combustion engine a journaled shaft with a single crank, an inclosing crank-case with sleeves turnable upon the crank-shaft, gears upon the sleeve and shaft whereby the opposite rotations of said sleeve and shaft are transmitted to a counter-shaft, cylinders fixed radially in the crank-case in the plane of' rotation of the crank and at angles of one hundred and twenty degrees with each other, pistons and rods connecting with the crank, spring-closed inlet and exhaust valves, non-revoluble cams and intermediate mechanism through the cams acting to open the valves, igniting devices connecting with the cylinder, other cams and contacts actuated by said cams to complete electrical circuits and energize the igniters.

4. In an internal-combustion engine, a journaled shaft with a single crank, a crank-case journaled and revoluble upon the crank-shaft, and in an opposite direction, cylinders radially disposed upon the crank-case in the plane of rotation of the crank, said cylinders having pistons and rods connecting with the crank, gears carried by the crank-case and shaft, a counter-shaft to which the opposite movements of the crank-case and shaft are transmitted, inlet` and exhaust valves and nonrevoluble cams and mechanism through which the cams operate to open the valves, igniting devices for each cylinder, other cams and contacts actuated thereby to energize the igniters, means by which the first-named cams may be turned to advance or retard the opening ofthe valves, and means for operating the second-named cams to vary the period of explosion.

5. In an internal-combustion engine, ajournaled shaft with a single crank, a crank-case journaled and revoluble upon said shaft and in an opposite direction, cylinders fixed radially to the crank-case in the plane of rotation of the crank, pistons and rods connecting said pistons with the crank, gears turnable with the crank-case and shaft; a counter-shaft to which the opposite movements of the shaft and case are transmitted, inlet and exhaust valves and igniting devices for each cylinder, cams by which said valves and igniting devices are actuated and a wheel carried by the crank-shaft to equalize the inertia of the revoluble engine.

6. In an internal-combustion engine, ajournaled shaft with a single crank, a crank-casing journaled and revoluble upon the shaft and in an opposite direction, cylinders fixed radially to the crank-case in the plane of rotation of the crank and having pistons and rods connectingl with said crank, a counter-shaft and gears by which the opposite revolutions of the crank-ease and shaft are transmitted to said counter-shaft, inlet and exhaust valves, igniting devices, and cams fixed with relation to the crank-case and cylinders, a muiiier mounted and turnable with the cylinders, and exhaust-pipes connecting said muffler with the cylinders.

7. In an internal-eombustion engine, a jour- Joo IIO

IZO

naled crank-shaft, a crank-case journaled and revoluble upon the shaft and in an opposite direction, cylinders fixed radially to the crankcase in the plane of rotation of the crank, and having pistons with rods connecting with said crank, a counter-shaft and gears by which the opposed revolutions ofthe crank-case and shaft are transmitted to said counter-sh aft, inlet and exhaust valves and actuating-cams therefor, a mufller turnable with the crank-case, said muii'ler having a passage through which the crank-shaft is freely turnable, and exhaustpipes connecting the cylinders with the muflier.

8. 1n an internal-combustion engine, a liournaled crank-shaft, a crank-case 'iournaled and revoluble upon said shaft, and in an opposite direction, cylinders fixed radially to the crankcase in the plane of rotation of the crank and having pistons and rods connecting with said crank, a counter-shaft and gears by which the opposed revolutions of the crank-case and shaft are transmitted to said counter-shaft, and a flexible support, said support comprising yokes with turnable bearings at the ends and pivots by which the engine -iournal-bolies are flexibly connected with the intermediate portions of the yokes.

9. ln an internal-combustion engine a journaled shaft with a single crank, a crank-case journaled and revoluble upon said shaft and in an opposite direction, cylinders fixed radially to the crank-ease in the plane of rotation of the crank, and having pistons and rods connecting with said crank, gears and a counter-shaft to which the opposed revolutions of the crank and case are transmitted, inlet and exhaust valves, igniting devices, and actuating-cams, and a muflier concentric with and inclosing the crank-shaft and turnable in unison with the crank-case and cylinders.

10. 1n an intermal-combustion engine a journaled shaft with a single crank, a crank-ease ,'iournaled and revoluble upon said crank-shaft aud in an opposite direction, cylinders fixed radially to the crank-case in the plane of rotation of the crank and having pistons and piston-rods connecting with said crank,a wheel upon the crank-shaft to equalize the revolutions of the cylinders, a counter-shaft and gears whereby the opposite movements of the cylinders and crank-shaft are transmitted to the counter-shaft.

11. ln an internal-combustion four-cycle engine, a jeurnaled shaft withl a single crank, a crank-case journaled and revoluble upon said crank-shaft and in an opposite direction, cylinders lixcd radially to the crank-case in the plane of rotation of the crank, said cylinders having pistons and rods connecting with the crank, a counter-shaft, and gears by which the opposing revolutions of the crank-shaft and case are transmitted to the countershaft, spring-closed inlet and exhaust valves, and igniting devices, cams carried by the journalbox and disposed to actuate the valves and igniters of each successively-passing cylinder at each revolution.

12. A revolMaly-balanced engine said engine comprising a journaled rcvoluble crankshaft, cylinders journaled concentrically upon said shaft in the plane of and revoluble in an opposite direction from the crank and having pistons connected with the crank, a wheel lixed to the crank-shaft, a counter-shaft, and gears whereby the opposing' revolutions of the cylinders and crank, are transmitted to the counter-shaft.

13. In an internal-co1nbustion Yfour-cycle engine, a liournaled crank-shaft revoluble in one direction, radially-disposed cylinders journaled and revoluble upon said shaft in an opposite direction whereby the cylinders and cranks coincide at each scmirevolution, inlet and exhaust valves and igniting devices for each cylinder, stationary cams by which said valves are opened, other cams and igniters actuated thereby at each complete revolution.

la. ln an internal combustion engine, a journaled crank-shaft revoluble in one direction, radial cylinders journaled conceritrically upon the shaft with pistons and connectingrods, said cylinders revoluble in an opposite direction, a counter-shaft, gears by which the opposing revolutions of the engine-shaft and cylinders are transmitted to the counter-shaft, and a iy -wheel mounted upon the engineshaft to equalize the transmitted inertia of the engine-shaft and cylinders.

15. An improved internal-combustion engine having in combination a revoluble shaft having a single crank, triple cylinders radially disposed in a plane of rotation common to said single shaft and havingl pistons, connectingrods between the pistons and the pin ol the crank-shaft said rods having segmental ends whose combined circumference is substantially equal to the circulnference of the crankpin, sleeves engaging' the said segmental ends and binding the parts together to form substantially a solid box around the crank-shaft, said sleeves being` divided in a plane parallel with the crank-pin and bolts uniting the sections ef said sleeves and adjusting the contactfaces thereof relative to each other and to the portion of the crank-pin inclosed thereby, a case fixed to and revoluble with the cylinders, said case having a sleeve concentric with the shaft, a gear on the crank-shaft and a corresponding gear on the crank-case sleeve, whereby the shaft and case revolve in opposite directions, 1 )ower-shaits arranged at right angles to thel crank-shaft and gears on the adjacent ends of the power-shafts and located between and engaging the lirstnamed gears g whereby motion is transmitted Vfrom both the crank-case and the shaft to the power-shafts.

16. The combination in an internal-comlnistion engine of a shaft having a single criink and crank-pin, a casing within which said IOO IOS

crankis inclosed, Cylinders mounted upon the casing having their axes radial to the crank and in a single plane of rotation, said cylinders and casing being revoluble, pistons and connecting-rods extending from the pistons to the crank-pin, said connecting-rods having' convergent segmental ends, inclosing the crank-pin, clamping-rings divided in a plane parallel with the crank-pin and each having laterally-extending lugs, said rings having the interior made tapering and adapted to lit the correspondingly-shaped connecting-rod ends, and means including bolts passing through the laterally-projecting lugs of the rings at right angles to the crank-pin by which said rings may be adjustably secured upon the tapering ends.

17. The combination in an engine of a shaft having a single crank, a crank-casing, cylinders carried by said casing, radial to the shaft, and in a plane of rotation transverse to the crank-pin, connections between the pistons of said cylinders and the crank-pin whereby the cylinders and crank-shaft are revoluble in opposite directions, adjustable bearings for said engine consisting of yokes, made in the form of trusses and having their outer ends formed with journals disposed longitudinally in line, and journal-boxes connected to the yokes and having' pivot-pins by which they are turnable therein.

18. An improved internal-combustion engine having in combination a shaft with a single crank and radially-disposed cylinders revoluble in a plane transverse to said single shaft and having their pistons connected thereto, inlet and exhaust valves and corresponding connecting-passages, cams by which said valves are actuated and connections between the cams and the valve-stems said connections including lever-arms engaged` by the cams, rocker-shafts carrying the arms, and rockerarms also on said shafts and adapted to operate the valve-stems, and means whereby the cams may be turned in unison to vary the amount of explosive mixture admitted to the cylinders, and to reverse the movement of the engine.

'19. The combination in an engine of a journaled revoluble single crank-shaft, a crankcase with sleeves revoluble concentrically about the shaft, and in an opposite direction, cylinders carried by the crank-case radial to the shaft and having pistons movable therein, connections between said pistons and the crank-pin, means for admitting and exploding a gas whereby the cylinders are revoluble in one direction and the crz'mk-shaft in the other, connections by which the motion of the shaft and crank-case is transmitted to the powershaft, and a balance wheel carried by the crank-shaft and adapted to counterbalance the movements of the cylinders and crank.

20. The combination in an internal-combustion engine of a plurality of cylinders revoluble about a single crank-shaft and means whereby the cylinders and shaft are revoluble in opposite directions, and means connecting the piston of the cylinders with a single crank ou the shaft, means for admitting an explosive gas, and exhausting the residue, and electrical devices by which the cylinder charges are ignited, said devices comprising a revoluble cam, arms pivoted at one end and having their free ends disposed in the range of action of the cam, spring-plates fixed to the arms substantially parallel therewith, and provided with contacts, and other contacts with which those carried by the springs are caused to impinge.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. SAVTELLE.

Nlfitnesses:

S. H. NoURsu, L. M. ZsruGL. 

